1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to exercise equipment, and more particularly to multi-purpose weight lifting equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exercise equipment generally falls within one of two main categories. A first category of exercise equipment is primarily concerned with improving the cardiovascular system by encouraging a user to make rapid, repetitive, unrestricted movements for extended periods of time. This raises the pulse rate, causes capillary expansion, and induces deep breathing, but does not usually build muscle mass.
Exercise equipment of the second category is more concerned with improving muscle tone and increasing muscle mass. This type of equipment usually requires a user to exert force against a resistance pressure provided by a weight or a spring. Of course, there is some degree of overlap between these two categories since equipment designed to increase cardiovascular fitness may also increase muscle mass, and equipment designed to increase muscle mass may also improve cardiovascular fitness. However, the primary benefit of the equipment is usually fairly well defined by which category it falls into.
Weight training belongs to the second category of exercise equipment in that it is designed primarily to increase muscle mass and to improve muscle tone. While there are many types of weight lifting apparatus, the most common are free weight units and weight lifting stations. Free weights, which are also known as barbells, usually include a long, steel bar provided with a number of disk shaped weights, and collars for holding the weights on the bar. Free weights are often used with a weight lifting bench.
One common danger of lifting free weights is that a weight lifter might injure himself by losing control and dropping the weights. It is therefore a common safety practice for weight lifters to exercise in pairs so that one of the weight lifters can act as a "spotter" for the other weight lifter. A spotter usually stands behind the weight lifter and grabs the barbell if the weight lifter seems to be losing control of it. However, this type of arrangement can be inconvenient since it is not always possible to find a weight lifting partner.
A number of inventors have developed weight lifting stations in an attempt to overcome the aforementioned problem. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,314 of Ceppo a weight lifting station is disclosed including two support posts, a pair of slidable collars engaged with the support posts, and a weight lifting bar coupled to the slidable collars. The support posts and collars guide the weight lifting bar for reciprocal vertical movement and thus prevent a weight lifter from dropping the weights back over his head or onto his body. However, Ceppo's device does not prevent the weights from falling straight down on the weight lifter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,470,815 of Harvey a weight lifting station is disclosed including a pair of guide posts, a weight lifting bar, and a pair of clamping members attaching the weight lifting bar to the guide posts. By rotating the weight lifting bar, screws within the clamping portion are urged against the guide posts to provide a friction-type brake. Thus, by rotating the weight lifting bar, a weight lifter can prevent the weights from falling straight down upon him. Unfortunately, the friction type braking system of Harvey, is not as fail-safe as it might be, and requires a great deal of torque to be applied to the bar by the user. In fact, Harvey's device is provided with a lever 64 to increase the amount of torque that can be applied to the bar. To use the lever, however, the weight lifter would have to release the bar with one hand, increasing the danger that the weights might fall on him.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,235,255 of Leflar, a weight lifting station is disclosed including a pair of guide posts, a weight lifting bar, and a clamping member slidably attaching bar 41 to the guide posts. The clamping member slides within the hollow tubular guide posts and includes a movable stop pin and a fixed stopped pin, both of which engage holes provided in the guide posts. While the stop pins prevent the movement of the bar more effectively than the friction brake of Harvey, they can not be controlled during use because the weight lifter has both of his hands on the weight lifting bar.
Weight lifting benches are often associated with weight lifting stations and with free weight units. Weight lifting benches typically include a long, padded central portion supported at either end by sturdy leg assemblies. Some exercise benches, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,485 of Gaul allow one of the set of legs to fold under the central portion to allow the bench to incline. A problem with prior art incline benches of this type is that they are typically shorter than full body length and are thus not well adapted for certain exercises. However, if the central portion were lengthened so as to be more useful in their inclined position, they would be too long and bulky for use as a general purpose weight lifting bench.
Weight lifting stations and weight lifting benches are often purchased separately and sometimes from different vendors. Since prior art weight stations and weight lifting benches have not been designed to be used together, the number of exercises that can be accomplished using both pieces of equipment has been limited. A problem that the prior art has not addressed is how to design an exercise apparatus which utilizes the combination of a weight lifting station and a incline bench to provide a weight lifter with a variety of exercises.